title: Pro-oncogene Pokemon promotes breast cancer progression by upregulating survivin expression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pokemon is an oncogenic transcription factor involved in cell growth, differentiation and oncogenesis, but little is known about its role in human breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to reveal the role of Pokemon in breast cancer progression and patient survival and to understand its underlying mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue microarray analysis of breast cancer tissues from patients with complete clinicopathological data and more than 20 years of follow-up were used to evaluate Pokemon expression and its correlation with the progression and prognosis of the disease. DNA microarray analysis of MCF-7 cells that overexpress Pokemon was used to identify Pokemon target genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and site-directed mutagenesis were utilized to determine how Pokemon regulates survivin expression, a target gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pokemon was found to be overexpressed in 158 (86.8%) of 182 breast cancer tissues, and its expression was correlated with tumor size (P = 0.0148) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0014). Pokemon expression led to worse overall (n = 175, P = 0.01) and disease-related (n = 79, P = 0.0134) patient survival. DNA microarray analyses revealed that in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, Pokemon regulates the expression of at least 121 genes involved in several signaling and metabolic pathways, including anti-apoptotic survivin. In clinical specimens, Pokemon and survivin expression were highly correlated (n = 49, r = 0.6799, P < 0.0001). ChIP and site-directed mutagenesis indicated that Pokemon induces survivin expression by binding to the GT boxes in its promoter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pokemon promotes breast cancer progression by upregulating survivin expression and thus may be a potential target for the treatment of this malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Lishui Road, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xuyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Lingling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Deliang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yuyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013534:Survival; D000077022:Survivin; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; D014157:Transcription Factors; C485514:ZBTB7A protein, human